1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical receptacles, and pertains more particularly to a pop-up electrical receptacle unit for desks, tables and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern-day office furniture assumes a variety of shapes and forms. Frequently, it is desirable to supply electric power for the operation of office equipment placed on desks, tables and the like, particularly overhead or slide projectors, dictating/transcribing machines, calculators, typewriters, as well as lamps for supplementing at times overhead lighting. The advent of modular office furniture has complicated the problem of supplying power to such equipment without detracting from the overall appearance of the furniture. For instance, a conference table may very well require an electrical receptacle at times, such as when an overhead or slide projector is to be used, but at other times the entire working surface of the table should be available for note pads, drawings, layouts, mechanical models and other paraphernalia. Similar problems exist with office desks, and even credenzas and cubes. Thus, because of the various types of office furniture currently used, the power supply problem has become of great concern to the designers of office furniture and also to interior decorators faced with the task of providing aesthetically pleasing office plans. Hence, there is a competitive challenge to provide furniture that is not only practical as far as being able to operate various electrical devices placed thereon, but it is important that the furniture be attractive, as well.
In the not too distant past, just extension cords were employed for supplying office equipment with electric power when placed on the working surfaces of office furniture. This is still done in many instances, resulting in an unsightly appearance.
Attempts have been made to modify the furniture itself so that electric power can be supplied via appropriate conductors and connections incorporated directly into the furniture. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,823, issued on Dec. 30, 1930 to Carrington et al for "DESK" makes use of a channel member that is a permanent part of the desk structure. The channel is unsightly and is not suitable for use with a conference table, for instance.
Another patent involving a desk that is structurally modified is U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,867, granted on Aug. 7, 1979 to James H. Breidenbach for "WIRING ACCESS SYSTEM FOR DESK AND THE LIKE". In this instance, what is termed an edge trim piece is releasably attached at the rear of the desk top, thereby permitting the wiring to be brought up from an interior location within the desk to the working surface thereof.
Another situation involves an elongated tubular enclosure that is attached to the rear edge of the desk top. This is a slotted arrangement so that various types of wires can be brought out through a slot onto the desk top. Such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,561, granted on June 13, 1978 to Wolff et al for "WIRING ENCLOSURE FOR DESK".
The foregoing are but examples of a number of attempts that have been resorted to in an effort to supply power to electrical equipment placed on office desks. The common shortcomings of such arrangements center around the rather extensive modification of the office furniture, the adding of a rather complicated and costly wiring system and the concomitant unsightliness. While various attempts have been made to improve the appearance of the office furniture, as far as its electric power supplying capability is concerned, a need still exists for a simple system for adequately supplying electric power to various types of office furniture and the various types of office equipment placed thereon.